It's a good question, Farmer John. The idea of (North) American Magic Realism has always been a touchy one, as magic realism is so heavily identified with Latin America, to the point that, as much as I love the style of writing, the tag carries with it a faintly patronizing connotation, like "folk art."

"Lazy storytelling."

"Slaughterhouse-Five" is good, but I'm thankful I read Vonnegut when I was a teenager, which seems to be the ideal age to encounter his work.

And Sherlock Holmes was a real person…

Yeah, and the first couple of pages feature the title in the same neon logo as on the front, which (if memory serves) was also done for Leonard's novels in the 80's.

Interesting to hear people compare "Inherent Vice" to "Big Lebowski" because "Lebowski" is probably the most Pynchonesque movie I've seen (even more than "Buckaroo Bonzai").

Wow. Pop Gear is amazing. Never heard of it before.

Yep, this is the best inventory the AV Club has had in quite a while.

When Irons did win the Oscar for "Reversal of Fortune," he made a point of thanking Cronenberg in his acceptance speech.

You're not alone. I admire Dead Ringers and think it's beautifully crafted on all levels, but it's one of my least favorite of Cronenberg's movies. Just not enough there to make my head buzz.

Peter Greenaway: Gateway to Geekery?

I have a good friend who went with a girl on one of their early dates to see "Dead Ringers." Neither one knew anything about the film apart from the fact that it was supposed to be a "thriller."

Yep, also read the Aegypt cycle more or less as they were published and loved them. "The Solitudes" (originally published as "Aegypt") could stand alone, though you'll probably want to know what will happen to the characters next.

Can't Wait
"Little, Big" is one of my favorite novels and I'm really looking forward to the discussion next week.

Yep - add me to the list of those who just want to say "great interview." One of the best I've read at the AVClub.

@holy hand grenade:

Well, if you take the interpretation that Balthazar's character Pete doesn't really exist and is just a fantasy projection of Pullman's Fred, who doesn't realize he is still in his prison cell, then "the incident" or "the thing that happened that night" refers to Fred's murder of his wife, which his subconscious is…

I would consider it an honor to help David Lynch kick somebody's ass, especially if it was a tailgater.

Yes, Claude is right. The major flaw with "Lost Highway" (and it is a movie I love and identify with) is that the Balthazar Getty / "Pete" section isn't interesting by itself, but only when it refers back to the Bill Pullman / "Fred" section. Had Lynch and Barry Gifford come up with a story that was unsettling and…

Yeah, Lynch has always been cagey about his cinematic influences. He said that he hadn't seen Dali and Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou" until after he made "Eraserhead."